This invention relates to a composition and process for using the same in hot water extraction cleaning of carpeting. More particularly, this invention relates to a composition containing an inherent anti-foaming agent such that the use of an additional defoaming agent is not necessary.
Extraction cleaning of carpeting both by consumers and by professional carpet cleaners is a well known carpet cleaning technique. Typically, extraction cleaning may be utilized between heavy duty foam carpet cleanings to maintain the appearance of carpeting especially where the carpet is subjected to heavy traffic. Some advantages of extraction cleaning over heavy duty foam carpet cleaning are that moisture, dirt, and shampoo residue are physically removed from the carpet. One problem encountered utilizing extraction carpet cleaning, especially when the carpet has previously been cleaned utilizing a cleaner with high foaming anionic surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, is the residue of the high foaming surfactant contained within the carpet creates a large volume of foam within the vacuum receptacle of the extraction cleaning equipment. Defoaming this high foaming residue is essential to efficient machine operation, but can create difficulties especially in commercial equipment as this equipment may have a sealed vacuum chamber and any foam buildup may be difficult to control or dispose of, and take a considerable amount of the operator's time. Home or consumer extraction cleaning equipment may be of similar design, or may be more easily controlled by the addition of extra anti-foam agent to the vacuum chamber.
One method to inhibit the foaming caused by the residue of a high-foaming surfactant which may have been used to clean the carpet, is to spray an anti-foam agent over the entire carpet area to be cleaned just prior to the extraction cleaning of the carpet. This method, although generally satisfactory, has a number of disadvantages. First, it adds an extra step to the process of cleaning the carpeting and second, as many anti-foam agents are oily materials, should all the anti-foam not be removed from the carpet, a spot may remain which could stain the carpet or be subject to quicker resoiling when subjected to traffic. A second method using the anti-foam is to predetermine the amount of anti-foam agent which will be required and vacuum this agent directly into the extraction cleaner vacuum chamber. This has a disadvantage in that extra anti-foam agent needs to be used in order to insure that the foam will not build up within the vacuum chamber. The build up of foam within a commercial unit's vacuum chamber can have serious consequences for the operator in terms of difficult removal of foam and lengthy machine downtime. The subsequent addition of defoamers through the vacuum hose to the vacuum chamber once a foam problem has occurred will break foam only if it comes in contact with the foam. Some machines are designed such that once foam has formed, it is difficult to get defoamers added through the vacuum hose to actually contact and break the foam in the tank.